Apparatus or inlet-valve combined with strainer and removable funnel.



E. L. H. ILLG.

APPARATUSOR INLET VALVE'.COMBINED WITH STRAINER AND REMOVABLE FUNNEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, I915- Patented June I 20, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

EUGENE n H. mm, or NAPLES, ITALY.

APPARATUS 0R INLET-VALVE COMBINED WITH STRAINER AND REMOVABLE FUNNEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJune 20, 1916.

Application filed April 28, 1915. Serial No. 24,588.

.ing of the valve, and by it of the tank, by

simple hand-pressure, assuring or warranting the automatic closing of'the same, as soon as such pressure is released, second, to arrest or retain any small foreign bodies or impure matter, eventually present in the liquid, in order to avoid their access already at the entrance of the tank to be filled, third, to have the cover of the valve act at the same time as funnel which is prolonged or completed by a removable funnel, so constructed that the latter will contemporaneously press down and open the valve during the filling period, fourth, to exercise, by the arrangement of a second valve-spring,having different functions, as hereinafter described, also a pressure on the nuts'of the valve-cover by which, in the known manner, the nuts are locked and unscrewing is prevented in case of vibration or shocks. I attain these objects by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a vertical section, on the line 1 2 of Fig. 3, of the whole apparatus showing the removable funnel pressing the valve down which therefore is open; Fig. 2 is a detailed view, partly in elevation, partly in section, of the second valve-spring held down by the bucket-nut on the button or disk of the cylinder, made of finefabric and serving as strainer, showing also, how the latter is supported by the shank of the valvecasing and how the protecting tube is fixed 1 into it; and Fig. 3 is a top new of the ap paratus as it appears after the removal of the funnel, slightly showing the slots for the hinged bolts.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The apparatus consists of the following principal parts. A'cylindrical body or casing A with connecting shank to receptacle or tank; a funnel shaped cover B, bearing has at its upper at its center the valve-seat; the cylinder,

made of fine fabric, C, acting as strainer;-

the protecting tube D, closed at its under end, having at its upper portion slotlike apertures; the removable funnel E with central cap, its under'rim beingso arranged that the fund will grasp itself onto the arms of the valve-guide in the way as hereinafter described.

The body A (see Fig. 1) is a hollow cylindrical casing bearing at its upper edge a broad flange 2, while its lower part is reduced to a threaded shank m by which the whole apparatus can be connected with the tank or receptacle to be filled. If the latter has to work under presure, it is obvious that a .washer of suitable packing material has to be interposed. If the valve or apparatus "is subject to vibration, the shank may be locked by the wellknown Grovers spring washer or other device attaining this end, such device here forming no part of the 7 present invention. It -is further understood that the single parts are manufactured of such material or coated by it that they will be, as little as possible, attacked by the liquid passing through the apparatus. The

aforesaid shank m, besides being threaded outside, is also threaded on the inner side or surface of its central opening 0 for the reception of the open end of tube D. The latter, projecting into the receptacle or tank,

ortion and around its circumference, sloth e apertures u of suflicient area for' the rapid passage of the liquid, while at the other end it is closed by a cap 25, screwed to the tube. This cap has a small perforation s in the center in order to allow the liquid, still present in thetube, to drop away when the receptacle is going to get empty. The threaded end of the tube does not reach to the entire height of the central opening of the shank already mentioned, but leaves enough space for a recess or support to the strong rim 3) of cylinder C. This cylinder is made of fine fabric and fits, in its entire length, easily into the aforesaid protecting tube. The lower end of the cylinder of fabric is double for the purpose of obtaining more resistance in case of heavy or angular bodies falling into it by which the fine wire could eventually be cut. a

The fabric is of such a mesh that it will of six or eight strong wires or ribs g, well inspection and cleaning. The disk serves also as basis or support to a conical ribbonspring m the under rim of which is held down upon the disk by a perforated bucketnut Z, screwed to the aforesaid disk. The spring can therefore easily be changed. The

. space between the level of the disk and the base of the valve itself, mentioned hereinafter, is so calculated that the ribbon-spring .pres'ses always on the base of the valve,

communicating this pressure, provided the valve is closed, also to the cover and to the base of the nuts e (see Figs. 1 and 2) so exercising a certain locking action upon them. The automatic closing of the valve is therefore assured or warranted by the arrangement of this second valve-spring which has as object to hold also the cyl inder of fabric in its place, whatever the position of the entire apparatus may be. The above mentioned cover, bearing the valve-seat, B fits into casing A and their flanges a and a one upon the other. The cover, being only half as deep as casing A, is tightly held down upon the latter by three hin ed nuts and bolts 6 (see Fig. 3), a ring 0 packing material is interposed. The bolts pass through slots y made into both flanges at angles of 120 degrees. Opposite to these slots, but only on the inner edge of the flange of cover B (to about half the depth of the flange) are made grooves k for the reception of the threearms f of the valve-guide 1' which armsare level with the said flange andtheir end's, projecting in the grooves underneath the nuts of the cover, are held in position by the latter. The valve-rod or spindle 9 passes the aforesaid guide and finishes in a handle 2', surmounting the apparatus. A helical valvespring j, between this handle and the Valveguide, keeps the valve also closed, unless handle 5 is pressed on. If therefore a tank or receptacle has to be filled upon which the valve or apparatus is placed, one pours the liquid into the funnel-shaped cover, between valve-guide and handle, pressing at the same time on the latter until the filling action is terminated. (Naturally care has to be taken that the tank does not overflow). In order to hold down the aforesaid handle for a longer period, a re movable funnel E (see Fig. 1) is placed upon the apparatus, the funnel being so arranged that its lower portion or rim w passes between the arms of the valve-guide, the rim being so cut that by pressing down and slightly turning around the funnel, it will grasp itself onto the arms of the valve-guide, due to the pressure of the valve-springs brought upon the central ca 6 of the funnel. By placing the remova le funnel upon the apparatus it is this cap I), fittin upon the valve-handle i, which presses own and opens the valve. Between cap and funnel suflicient space is left for the passage of the liquid. The latter, rapidly passing the valve, enters into the lower portion of the casing A and then intothe strainer or sieve of fine fabric C, accumulates in it and rises up to the slot-like apertures u of the protecting tube D through which finally and purified it will flow into the tank or receptacle to be filled.

Any small solid bodies or impure matter, such as sand, dust, etc., which may be present in the liquid and the separation of which may be of great importance in certain cases, (for instance sand or dust during the filling action of the tank of amotor 'car) are deposited on the bottom of the cylinder of fine fabric which acts as strainer or sieve and so eliminates them. These impurities can after a certain time be removed by taking the whole apparatus apart for cleaning, a ma nipulation which is very easily and quickly done and which forms one of the special features of the whole apparatus. A hinged semi-spherical top over it, made of metal sheeting with padlock as illustrated open by F, Fig. 3, may protect the entrance of the valve. The removable funnel has to be stowed away. i

I am well aware that the valve-device itself is nothing new and therefore cannot form a art of the present invention its features being rather the combining of the special construction of easily controllable valvecasing and cover'with a strainer or sieve protected by a tube, the arrangement of a second valve-spring and the application of a removable funnel, having the functions as above fully described.

I therefore claim:

1. An apparatus or inlet valve of the character described including a hollowv cylindrical body or valve casing with vertical side walls reduced at its bowl-shaped lower end to a threaded connecting shank adapted to be received by a threaded collar positioned upon the tank or receptacle which is being filled, said body having at its upper end a broad horizontal flange with a plurality of slots for the reception of hinged nuts and bolts, a cover concentrically emboxed into said body, said cover with partly vertical and partly conical, downwardly sloping side walls, said flange of the cover exactly fitting upon the one of the valve casing, said nuts and bolts holding in engagement said cover upon said casing, the funnel shaped lower portion of said cover terminating at its central outlet in a conical valve seating reaching down to about half the depth of said casing, a valveguide with a plurality of radially arranged arms resting in grooves upon and at level with the surface of the upper flange, the ends of said arms secured to the flange by the said nuts and bolts, said valve-guide downwardly and concentrically with its longitudinal axis entering said funnelshaped cover and containing the spindle or rod of a kind of puppet valve assing and hermetically closing the outlet o? said cover, said spindle merging with its upper portion above the level of said upper flange and terminating in a semispherical handle detach ably screwed or otherwise fastened to it, a helical valve-spring positioned between said guide and handle assisted by a helical band or ribbon spring pressing on the basis of the valve. y

2. An apparatus or inlet valve of the character described including a hollow valve casing with vertical side walls reduced at its lower portion to a threaded connecting shank to tank or recipient to be filled, its upper end bearing a broad horizontal flange to which by nuts and bolts, preferably hinged to said casing, a cover is secured, said cover concentrically positioned upon the casin and resting with its broad flange having 51c same plurality of slots as the flange of said body upon the latter, said 1 cover funnel-shaped w1th vertical and downwardly converging side walls terminating at its central outlet in a conical valve seat, said cover about half as deep as said valve body, a valve-guide with a plurality of radially arranged arms supported in grooves upon and being at level with the surface of the upper flange, the ends of said arms held in engagement with said flange by'the said nuts and bolts, said valveide downwardly and concentricall with its longitudinal axis'entering said nnelshaped cover and containing the spindle or rod of a conical valve hermetically closing the central outlet of said cover, said spindle projectin with its upper portion above the level of t e flange surface terminating in a semispherical handle detachably secured to it, a helical spring positioned between said guide and handle assisted by a helical band or ribbon spring pressing on the basis of the valve,- said spring ositioned above a strainer or sieve combined with said inletvalve, said strainer including a hollow cylindrical bodyof fine meshed fabric or wire gauze closed and double at the lower end, the upper end furnished with a flat ring with an outwardly bent horizontal flange of sufficient strength restin in and supported by a recess made into t e upper portion of the opening of said connecting shank in the interior of said valve body,

said long cylinder or strainer stifiened by strong ribs of wire or other suitable material running inside and alongside the said strainer crossing themselves at the closed lower end, well fastened at the upper end of the cylinder to said metal ring and meeting again and precisely above said ring in a button or disk threaded for the reception of a bucket nut detachably holding down the said helical ribbon-spring which is therefore interchangeable, a protecting tube over said cylinder with its upper end screwed into the under portion of the inner opening of said connecting shank to about half its height, said tube at its lower end closed by a cap having only a small central perforation, its upper portion just underneath the lower end of said connecting shank and precisely inside the tank or receptacle when the entire apparatus is positioned upon it, furnished around its circumference with a plurality of slotlike apertures in the longitudinal axis of said tubular protector of suficient area for the free passage of the purified liquid into the tank or receptacle which is being filled.

. 3. An apparatus or inlet valve of the character described including a cylindrical valve casing reduced at its bowl-shaped lower end to a connecting shank, said connecting shank received by a threaded, eventually locked, collar be filled, said ody or casing at its upper end and integral with it terminating in an outwardly bent horizontal flange with a plurality of slots for the passage of nuts and bolts serving to tightly secure upon the valve casing a cover concentrically emboxed ;into thecasing, said cover partly funnel-shaped, its central outlet bearing a valve seat into whichfits a kind of puppet valve sliding in a valve-guide positioned ositioned upon the tank to with its longitudinal axis into said cover,

the radially arranged arms of said guide running in grooves at level with the upper flange and projecting underneath said nuts 'by which. they are held in position, the

spindle or rod of said valve merging above the upper flange and terminating in a round handle, a valve-spring positioned between handle and valve-guide assisted by another spring (pressing on the basis of the said valve, sai second spring positioned upon and detachably held down by a bucket-nut on a threaded disk into which meet the supporting ribs of a cylinder of fabric or fine meshed wire gauze above the inner central opening of said connec ing shank, said cylinder at its upper end pro: vided with an annularsupport resting 1n a recess of said opening, the lower endof said cylinder or strainer, closed and double, projecting into and so communicating with the interior of the tank or receptacle, said strainer easily removed for cleaning or substituting it or new parts thereof when so desired, said cylinder inside the tank protected by a tube fitting over it and closed at the lower end, the upper portion of the tube screwed or otherwise fastened into the lower end of said connecting shank, said a tubular protector at its upper portion with slotlike apertures for the passage of the purified liquid into the tank; said apparatus or inlet valve with strainer further combined with a removable funnel having partly vertical and partly downwardly converging side-walls, the upper end formed with a head, the lower'portion reduced to a neck, said neck fitting as a kind of prolongation into the inlet opening of said funnel-shaped valve-cover, said neck having certain vertical and horizontalcuttings in spaced relation to the lift ofwthe valve and the width of the valve-guide-arms for the fixture of said funnel to the said apparatus and so keeping th Valve p during the filling period, a cap, fitting upon the V valve handle arranged in the center of said tunnel in a proper distance from the lower end of said neck and the valve handle, by which said valve can be pressed down and so opened, said cap fastened to the neck of the funnel by radially arranged bands leaving enough space for the passage of the liquid to be filled in, the funnel, when removed by slightly turning and so disengaging it from the valve-guide arms and stowed away, eventually substituted by a semispherical top with padlock hinged to or otherwise positioned u on the valve cover in a suitable manner or the protection of the inlet of the apparatus when not in use.

EUGENE L. H. ILLGG Witnesses:

Arrons'ro Tanner, Connano Saocm. 

